Undone
by author2be3
Summary: Marinette felt broken. She failed as Ladybug, was stripped of her power, and Adrien was nowhere to be found. Everything was wrong. At this point, she didn't care if she became akumatized. No one could save anyone now… "Marinette Dupang-Chang. I can help you."


Adrien had to blink away the fogginess. What had happened? He looked down at his hand and remembered.

_Hawkmoth's new akuma had stolen his Miraculous. _

_It had stolen Ladybug's too. _

_And then…? _

"Hello there, Adrien Agreste." A voice said from behind. Adrien turned around and saw a young woman with incredibly long rosey hair in a large white dress. She had an ethereal glow around her. It was comforting and intimidating.

"Who are you?"

She smiled, "My name is Madoka Kaname. And you must have a lot of questions right now. Let me see if I can make this a little easier." Madoka made a gesture with her gloved hand and the two were brought to a small kitchen with a table and a few chairs. It had a warm homely feel that Adrien had hardly ever experienced. Then, he noticed Madoka had changed as well. She looked like a girl almost his age. Her rose colored hair was put up in short pigtails, and her grand white dress was changed to what looked like a regular school uniform.

"Have a seat. I'll make some tea."

"Uh… thank you." Adrien quietly sat down and waited. "So Madoka, where are we? And what's going on?"

Madoka continued to prepare the tea. "This is… uh, well it's a memory of my home. It's kind of a long story." She said wistfully, "As for what's going on, well since Hawkmoth made a wish, it's my job to honor that wish and keep the universal balance."

"_You_ keep the universal balance? I don't think Ladybug mentioned that part with making a wish."

Madoka smiled sheepishly. "Right. I don't think she knew either. It's very rare for someone to make a wish with the Miraculous, but I'll try to not make it too confusing for you." She placed a cup in front of him and poured the tea. "Hawkmoth's wish was to awaken your mother. But to keep the balance, someone had to go into a coma instead." Madoka placed the teapot down, "I'm really sorry, Adrien. It was a precious wish to him, I had to honor it."

She looked down at the teapot, unable to face him. As for Adrien, Madoka's explanation gave more questions than answers. "But, why did Hawkmoth want save my mother?"

Madoka poured herself some tea and sat down. "Oh, right. It's complicated. Let's just say he's a troubled man with good intentions. Any way, because he made a wish with the Miraculous, there has to be an exchange to keep the universe in balance. To bring back one Agreste, the universe had to lose another."

"So, I'm... in a coma right now?"

Madoka nodded silently. Adrien shook his head, "You just brought me here to tell me all this? And then what? What's going to happen to Plagg, or Ladybug, or my friends?" _What about Marinette? _That last thought caught him by surprise, but he didn't have time to dwell on it because Madoka spoke up.

"And that's why I wanted to talk to you, Adrien. Because there might be a way to fix this. Or at least undo what Hawkmoth has just done. And it involves your friend, Marinette. However, she will be in trouble."

"Marinette? Why?"

"Because she cares very dearly about you. And the creature I have done my best to stop may be viewing her as his next target."

* * *

Marinette felt broken. She failed as Ladybug, was stripped of her power, and Adrien was nowhere to be found. She lay curled up in her bed wondering what had happened. Everything was wrong. At this point, she didn't care if she became akumatized. Let alone care if the other akuma continued to ravage Paris. No one could save anyone now…

"Marinette Dupang-Chang. I can help you."

Marinette shot up instantly. At the foot of her bed was a small white fox-like creature with a blank stare. Marinette reeled back. "What? Who are you?"

The creature skipped up to her, "I am Kyubey. And I want you to make a contract with me to become a magical girl!"

"Huh?"

"In exchange for any wish, I will create your soul gem. Then you can become a magical girl!"

"A magical girl?" Marinette put her hand on her head. '_I must be losing my mind.'_

"I know this must be overwhelming for you. Basically, when you make your wish you'll become a magical girl and get all sorts of magical powers! In return you'll need to fight… monsters."

"Magical powers? You mean like… like Ladybug."

Kyubey's ears twitched a moment. "I suppose so. I have never met Ladybug."

"And for any wish?"

"Yes, within reason, of course."

Marinette was quite a moment. The idea of any wish was tempting, but she remembered what Master Fu told her about the wish from the Miraculous. "Wait, would this wish be like the Miraculous?"

Kyubey scratched his ears. "Not quite. The miraculous exchanges your one wish for someone or something else to keep universal balance. For my contract, you would get a soul gem in exchange for your wish. All you would have to do is take care of it and fight monsters." Marinette sat there for a moment. A wish of any kind and for powers like when she was Ladybug. But something about Kyubey's offer felt off. Not to mention she wasn't entirely sure what to wish for. "I-I'd have to think about it." "Well this is something I can't pressure you into. Take your time. I'll be ready when you are."

Marinette nodded and climbed up to the rooftop of her home to see the city. She looked out and sighed.

"You were smart to tell him no." A new voice said. Marinette practically fell off her balcony. "Who are you?" She stammered. "I'm Sayaka. It's nice to meet you, Marinette."

"You know my name?"

"Yeah. I have friends in high places. And those friends sent me to help you set everything right."

"What are you talking about?"

Sayaka looked out over the city. "You could say, my friends thinks there is some foul play going on. Don't you think the akuma Ladybug and Chat Noir fought seemed different than all the others?"

Marinette cocked her head to the side. "Yeah- Oh, I mean. Sure! From what I could guess. Obviously, I wouldn't know. I wasn't actually facing it!"

Sayaka put her hand up,"Right. Anyway, we think Hawkmoth might have had a companion or higher up working with him to make sure Ladybug and Chat Noir failed."

Marinette looked at Sayaka with bewilderment. "Are you sure about that? Do you have any proof?"

Sayaka shook her head, "It's just a hunch right now."

Marinette finally took notice of Sayaka's unusual blue hair and that she was dressed in a school uniform Marinette had never seen before. There was something very off about this girl. Marinette sighed, "Can you explain to me exactly who you are?"

Sayaka nodded. "Think of me as an ambassador for the being who keeps the universal balance. When someone makes a wish with the miraculous, my boss has to find the best way to maintain the status quo. But my boss thinks Hawkmoth might have done something to shift the balance and might be covering it up with the wish he made."

"So, why are you here?"

"To investigate Hawkmoth. If he is playing dirty, I'll need you to help me help my boss fix this!"

"But why me? What do I have to do with this?"

Sayaka winked, "I think you and I both know why."

"But… now I'm just Marinette. I can't do anything special."

Sayaka could see Marinette sinking into herself. She put her hand on Marinette's shoulder. "Marinette, don't belittle yourself. You have more potential than anyone right now. You'd be surprised at what 'just Marinette' can do."

Marinette looked over at Sayaka's warm smile. Something about her pep-talk reminded Marinette of Tikki. She sighed, "Okay. What do we need to do?"

"Tomorrow's Sunday, right? We can start investigating then. Oh, and Marinette? Whatever you do, do NOT make a contract with Kyubey."

"Why?"

"Kyubey's contracts are not a fair and honest trade."

* * *

"Madoka, what's wrong with this Kyubey creature?" Adrien asked, taking another sip of tea.

Madoka turned her cup in her hands. "Kyubey seems harmless at first. But he's a cunning creature that has caused a lot of suffering. I gave up everything to undo the pain he caused throughout all of history." Madoka took another sip before continuing. "He believes the universe needs to expand. So, mimicking the powers of the miraculous, he created soul gems. But when a magical girl falls into sadness, the gem is corrupted. The power from that corruption, is what Kyubey used to grow the universe."

"But what happened to the magical girls?"

Madoka shook her head. "It's why I became what I am. It prevented all those magical girls from suffering ever again." She looked at him and smiled, "They wouldn't be alone anymore. They could be happy and keep wishing, even at the very end." She looked back at her cup and traced the rim with her finger, "But I guess Kyubey thought this would make the universal expansion too slow. If he's done what I think he has, I'll have to intervene and fix this."

Adrien looked back at his cup. "I had no idea… but I still don't understand what Marinette has to do with this? What was that potential Sayaka was talking about?"

Madoka was silent a moment. "I don't know if I can tell you everything." She went back to playing with her cup, "She… hmmm, Marinette _does _have incredible potential, like Sayaka said. I know why, but it may not be safe to tell you. I think Kyubey knows too. That's why I sent Sayaka. Not only to investigate, but to protect her."

Adrien didn't speak for a moment. "Is there anyway I can help?"

Madoka bit her lip. "We'll wait and see."

* * *

Marinette stared down the front gates of the Agreste house on Sunday morning. "Sayaka, I don't think I can do this. Why do I have to come here?"

Sayaka put a firm hand on Marinette's shoulder. "You just need to ask a few questions about Adrien while I poke around. Simple."

"But how? Mr. Agreste _never_ lets anyone in!"

Sayaka winked, "Trust me on this. It'll be different."

Marinette's knees started to shake as she rang the doorbell. Sayaka slipped away from the sight of the camera. She nodded to Marinette. "Uh, hi! I-I'm Marinette, a friend of Adrien's. I just wanted to… see if he's doing okay?"

The camera zoomed in on her. "A friend?" It was a different voice from the usual. "Please come in."

Marinette starred at Sayaka in surprise. The blue haired girl just put her thumb up. Marinette stiffly walked up the steps to the entrance. The door flung open and Marinette found herself face-to-face with a woman she recognized only in pictures. Back when she was protecting Adrien as Ladybug. The woman was tall with blonde hair. Her eyes were the same bright green as Adrien's. Marinette knew this woman could only be one person.

"Oh, are you Adrien's mom?"

The beautiful woman nodded soberly. "You're a friend of his?"

"Uh, yes! We go to school together."

The woman put up a small smile, "He got to go to school? That's wonderful."

Marinette tilted her head to the side, "You didn't know?"

Mrs. Agreste shook her head. "I've been gone for a while."

"Oh, well. He's been going to school with me and some other friends. We were wondering where he was."

The woman lost her smile. "I'm sorry. He won't be having visitors for a while. He's… unwell."

"Unwell?"

Mrs. Agreste nodded, "We don't know what's wrong with him right now. I just wish-"

Right before Mrs. Agreste could continue, there were very loud footsteps. Marrinette felt a lump in her throat upon seeing Gabriel Agreste. He starredMthe girl down. "Oh, you're Marinette. May I ask what you're doing here?"

His wife turned to him, "She's asked about Adrien."

He nodded, "I'm very sorry, but Adrien is very busy and cannot visit with you today."

Marinette cocked her head to the side. _Busy? I thought he was sick? _

"Is everything okay, sir?"

Mr. Agreste didn't respond right away. "Everything is fine for now."

Before Marinette could ask anymore questions, she barely noticed Kyubey scurry into Mr. Agreste's office.

"Oh, well. I'm sorry to bother you then. Please let me know if he has any free time." Marinette turned to leave when someone grabbed her shoulder, "Wait, Marinette."

It was Mrs. Agreste. "Would you like to visit later today? I would like to hear more about your time with my son."

Marinette became tense, "Oh, uh, I-I-I… sure ma'am. I'll come by later. Thank you."

Marinette left and began to search for her new friend. "Sayaka? Sayaka? Where are you?" She whispered as she searched the grounds. There was a soft blue glow coming from behind the house. "Sayaka...?" Sure enough, Sayaka was standing over a manhole behind the Agreste house. "What are you doing?"

Sayaka didn't move. "I'm using my soul gem to search for clues."

"Wait! _Your _soul gem? You didn't tell me you were a magical girl!"

Sayaka shrugged. "It's a little complicated. But yeah, I was a magical girl. What did you find out?" Marinette pouted. She wanted to hear more about Sayaka's past. Why didn't Sayaka tell her she was a magical girl?

"Their stories were contradictory. Adrien's mom said he was sick but his father said he was busy. Also, I thought I saw Kyubey walk into Mr. Agreste's office." Sayaka's head snapped to face Marinette. "Are you sure?"

"I-I think so."

"That makes things a little more interesting."

* * *

"Adrien, I think I have a way you can help." Madoka said, "What can you tell me about that akuma you and Ladybug ran into?"

Adrien folded his hands. His expression turned to utter fear.

"It was nothing like we'd ever faced before. There was this strange doorway. It was black and purple with red flowers that almost looked like it was calling to us." Adrien shivered, "Walking in was even worse. The area around us felt, twisted. There were shadows and these… things all around us."

Madoka leaned in closer, "What were these 'things'?"

Adrien shook his head, "I don't know. They were almost like giant wind-up toys or nutcrackers with spears. There was so many of them. They swarmed us, and we got separated. It got worse because there were so many paths those things chased me down and I got lost."

Madoka nodded and stood up, "Follow me." Adrien got up and followed Madoka to a door that appeared out of nowhere. It opened to a very dark place filled with windows and a staircase going downward. As Madoka and Adrien walked downward into the darkness, Adrien couldn't help but notice the windows showing bright moving images. Some of Madoka, some of Sayaka and many others he had to assume were magical girls. He thought he saw a few miraculous users with these magical girls. Madoka stopped walking and faced Adrien.

"Did you see what the akuma looked like?"

He nodded soberly, "She looked like those monsters we saw in the… the…"

"The labyrinth." Madoka finished.

Adrien stared at her with wide eyes, "The labyrinth. But she was huge and more skeleton-like. I heard Ladybug shouting about her Miraculous being stolen and that she couldn't do anything. I tried fighting off those monsters, but…"

Madoka turned to face one of the windows. "Did the akuma look something like her?" Adrien stepped next to Madoka to see a girl with long dark hair. She had piercing violet eyes and dark clothes to match. She had a small bronze shield on her wrist that added to her dark appearance. The only 'bright' thing about her was the red ribbon tied in her hair. "Now that you mention it…"

Madoka shook her head. "This is exactly what I was afraid of. Before I became what I am, Kyubey would turn magical girls into the very monsters they were created to fight. They were called witches. The witches would create labyrinths like that 'akuma' you faced. You were lucky to leave that place with your lives when your miraculous were stolen. They're dangerous for normal people."

"That was a witch we faced?"

Madoka nodded. "It's possible, you two may have mistaken her for an akuma. Remember how I said I keep the universal balance? When it comes to magical girls, I have the power to erase witches from existence. This is how the balance is kept for soul gems."

"But if that's the case, why didn't you erase this one?"

"She didn't appear like the others normally do. That's why I need to know more about this witch. I'm also worried because Marinette said she saw Kuybey at your home. I need Sayaka and Marinette to find that labyrinth. Only then can I set everything back to normal."

"But who is that magical girl?"

Madoka put her head down and clasped her hands. "Her name is Homura Akami. And she's my very best friend."

* * *

Marinette walked beside Sayaka through the streets of Paris following this 'trail' the magical girl insisted they needed to find the end of. Sayaka kept her eyes on her gem, something Marinette was becoming more curious about. "Uh, Sayaka? Can you tell me more about your soul gem?"

"Hmmm, I guess so. What do you want to know?" "How… how did you get yours?"

Sayaka stopped in her tracks. "It's not a happy story." Her voice cracked, "There was a boy."

"A boy?"

Sayaka nodded, "He was a gifted violinist. I cared a lot about him. But he got in an accident and couldn't play ever again."

"Oh Sayaka! That's horrible."

Sayaka shook her head, "I made a contract with Kyubey to heal him. He could play the violin again. I was so happy for him. But I paid the price for a soul gem. And well… I lost him."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. That must have been hard."

"More than you know."

Marinette didn't know what to think. For the most part, she didn't understand where losing that boy and her soul gem was connected. Sayaka wished for him to be healed and he was. Why would the contract not be fair? Was it the monsters she had to fight? Or did something else happen? She wanted to press more on it, but she could tell Sayaka didn't want to talk about it.

"Uh… what's your soul gem doing now?"

"I'm using it to track the person Ladybug and Chat Noir thought was akuma-tized."

"Thought?"

"You said it yourself, the akuma they faced was weird. And we need to find out why."

"Is that all your soul gem does?"

"No. It holds all my magic and let's me transform. But I can't use it too much without purifying it, otherwise it will get corrupted."

"Are there other magical girls here in Paris?"

Sayaka shrugged, "It's very unlikely since Paris has Ladybug and Chat Noir. With how much hope they give the citizens, there's nothing for a magical girl to fight, but it can happen. You would never notice though since magical girls work to hunt monsters that hide in the background. That's probably why you've never seen one around before."

The two continued on their path as it had them wander through Paris. While making their way through, Marinette noticed people seemed on edge. She figured people feared what would happen since Ladybug and Chat Noir had been missing for a day or two, but this was a little too abnormal.

"Does everyone seem strange to you?"

Sayaka hummed in agreement."If what we're looking for is what I think it is, everyone's behavior is a side effect."

Sayaka looked up, "Hey Marinette, aren't you supposed to meet Adrien's mom?"

"What?" Marinette checked her phone for the time. "Oh no. I'm going to be late! But what about you?"

Sayaka grinned. _Don't worry. We'll keep in touch._ Marinette jumped at hearing Sayaka's voice in her head. _How did you-_

"Magic." Sayaka answered, "We'll keep in touch this way. If you need me, just call my name in your head."

"Wait… can you hear everything in my head?"

"Maybe…" Sayaka giggled. Marinette stiffened. "Marinette, relax. I'm only kidding. Now go on. I'll catch up with you later."

"Oh, right! I'll see you later." Marinette turned and ran off.

Sayaka smiled. Before she continued on, she heard Madoka's voice. "I'm worried about her going alone. If Kyubey's there-"

"She'll be fine. She knows how to contact me if something bad goes down."

* * *

When Marinette arrived back at the Agreste house, she had apologized profusely for keeping Mrs. Agreste waiting. Lucky for her, Emilie Agreste found Marinette to be quite charming. She ushered her guest into the dinning room where tea was already prepared. Marinette couldn't help but feel cold in the pristine house. _Is this how Adrien feels everyday? It must be terribly lonely._

Emilie began to notice Marinette looking rather low. "Are you alright, Marinette?" She offered the girl a warm cup of tea. _No wonder he missed her so much._

"Oh, I'm sorry ma'am. Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." She smiled and took the cup.

The two sat in silence for a moment. Mrs. Agreste seemed to be focused on stirring her tea as well as tapping her foot. If Marinette had to guess, the woman was nervous about something.

"Uh, Mrs. Agreste, are you alright?"

She snapped out of her daze, "Huh, oh yes. I'm sorry about that." She took a sip of her tea. "Marinette, may I ask what you think of Adrien?"

Marinette practically jumped at this question. "I-uh-I… we're really good friends. Yeah! He's so kind and smart and wonderful… Uh… but everyone in class loves him and we really miss him a lot."

Emilie giggled, "That's quite an answer, but I wanted to know how _you_ feel." Marinette felt her heart drop to her stomach. Could she really tell Adrien's mom how she feels? Would she tell Adrien? "I-I… uh, we're… like I said, friends. Good friends! Yeah, that's all. Nothing more! We're-"

Emilie placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "Okay, my dear. Calm down. I won't tell Adrien how you feel about him." Marinette stiffened as Emilie continued, "I wouldn't tell him, even if I could. That's something you have to do on your own."

"What do you mean, 'if you could'?"

Emilie shook her head. "I believe I told you he's been unwell. My husband and I have no idea how to help him. I wish we knew what to do."

"But... I thought Mr. Agreste said he was busy?"

Emilie shook her head, "He often says things like that because he didn't want things to seem worse than they really are."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mrs. Agreste."

"It may take a miracle for Adrien to be cured. I don't know what to do."

Marinette gave a small gasp and straightened up. Not because of Mrs. Agreste's statement but rather because her eyes had wandered a moment to see Kyubey standing behind Emilie and staring directly at Marinette. Her heart almost stopped.

_A wish of any kind? But what about what happened with Sayaka and that boy? But could my wish help Adrien? _

Marinette took Mrs. Agreste's hand, "Don't give up yet, ma'am. I'm sure Adrien will be feeling better in no time!"

Marinette noticed the sadness creeping across Mrs. Agreste's face. "You really believe that?"

"Yes ma'am, I do."

The woman watched Marinette for a moment. Then she began to tear up. She took her hand back to wipe her tears, "I'm sorry my dear. Please forgive me."

"For what?"

"The past few days have been so terrible, but perhaps I can set some things right. Please, make sure no one goes near Notre Dame Cathedral. Not until the shadow is gone."

"The shadow? Mrs. Agreste, what are you talking about?"

"Marinette, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. I don't want someone who cares so deeply for my son to be a part of a new one. I don't know what will happen next, but please do this for me until the shadow is gone."

"Mrs. Agreste, I still don't understand."

"I know you don't. But please do this for me.

Marinette was quiet. "I… I will ma'am. Will you be okay?"

"I will. Thank you my dear."

Emilie guided Marinette to the door. But before Marinette could open it to leave, Mrs. Agreste hugged her. "Be safe, and keep everyone away from the shadow."

* * *

_Sayaka! Where are you?_

"I'm right here." Sayaka said. Marinette turned. "I think I know where the akumatized person is. Mrs. Agreste said there's a shadow at Notre Dame she wants to keep people away from it."

Sayaka's eyes went wide. "Did she tell you why?" Marinette shook her head. Sayaka frowned, "Okay, I guess we should check it out."

The two rushed through the streets of Paris to make their way to the cathedral. Once they arrived, Sayaka couldn't help but take a moment to stare at the cathedral. "Man, Paris has some impressive landmarks. But now is not the time." Sayaka clasped her hands on top of each other then lifted her left hand, making her soul gem appear. The jewel gave off an incredible glow! "She was right, it's here somewhere."

Just then Marinette heard a faint sound. "Help...me…" Marinette was startled at first. "Hello?"

The voice responded with the same, "Help… me…"

Marinette began to move closer, listening for the voice. "I'm here, where are you?" She began to run further in the direction of the voice.

"Wait, Marinette! Don't go off on your own!" Sayaka called chasing after her. Marinette ran along the sides of the church as the voice got louder. "Where are you?" Marinette called.

* * *

Adrien and Madoka watched through one of the windows as Marinette rushed off on her own. "What is she doing?" Adrien asked.

Madoka frowned. "I'm not sure. Something's not right here." Marinette ran further, calling out to… someone. But then, she vanished. Adrien's face displayed his horror upon seeing the door he and Ladybug had seen before this mess happened. "Madoka! That's-"

"The labyrinth."

"We have to get Marinette out of there! Erase the witch! Do something!"

"I can't. If I erase the witch now, Marinette will disappear with it. We need Sayaka to get her out of there."

Just then, a small white creature leaped into the labyrinth. "She might need back up." Madoka muttered.

* * *

Marinette was so focused on the voice, she failed to notice where she had ended up. When she finally took in her surroundings, her heart almost stopped. The overwhelming fear of where she was left her in her tracks. "Oh no." She tried to turn back but couldn't find the entrance. "Sayaka! Are you there?" Marinette began to hear the sound of marching boots. Her blood ran cold at that sound. The only thing she could think to do was run. "Sayaka!" She cried. Against better judgment, Marinette looked over her shoulder. The giant toy soldiers were getting closer, with the one directly behind her pointing its spear at her. "Ah! Sayaka, help!"

Just as Marinette turned the next corner, she slammed into a wall of shadows. She backed up into the wall. Marinette was trapped. She found herself wishing for one of Chat Noir's lame puns right now, letting her know it was going to be okay. She couldn't believe this was how it would all end. She would never be Ladybug again, would never see Alaya, Nino or her family, and worst of all, she would never be able to tell Adrien how she felt about him.

"Marinette Dupang-Chang, if you make a contract with me, you can defeat these familiars." Marinette looked down to see Kyubey standing next to her.

"But I can't-" Marinette began before a spear slammed into her shoulder and pinning her to the wall. "Agh!"

"Wish for something! Anything! Or you'll die here!"

Marinette's eyes began to water as the blood flowed from her shoulder. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't let this happen. "Kyubey… I-I wish-"

"Marinette, don't!" A familiar voice called. Her heart stopped for a beat.

"Adrien…" she croaked.

"What would Ladybug do?" Adrien shouted. Marinette did what she could to blink away the tears. For just this moment she had to fight, magical powers or not. There was someone in here that needed her. Grabbing the spear for support, Marinette put her feet against the wall and with all her might pushed off with enough strength to kick the first familiar square in the chest. Her kick toppled over a line of toy soldiers. Marinette cried out in pain from shifting the spear in her shoulder. More blood oozed from the injury.

"That won't stop them all." Kyubey stated. Just then, Marinette saw an explosion of gold and… flowers? Then again, and again. Following the explosions were multiple sounds of clanking metal. And with each sound, more and more of the toy soldiers fell. The last soldier stopped when a sword pierced its chest. Once it dropped, Marinette could see Sayaka now in a different outfit holding a sword with two other girls beside her. One was a blonde girl armed with a musket and a redhead with a spear. The blonde girl ran up to Marinette, "Sorry we took so long to get to you, Marinette. We were called in last minute. Now hold on, this might hurt a bit."

The blonde girl carefully pulled out the spear. Marinette let out another cry of pain and fell into the girl's arms. "Here, this should help." She put her hand on Marinette's injury. There was a golden light coming from her hand as Marinette could feel her wound closing up. Marinette began to shake, taking in all that had just happened. The girl hugged her. "Shhh, it's okay. You're not alone now." Once Marinette got ahold of herself, she stepped out of the girl's embrace. "Who are you?" "My name is Mami Tomoe. You've already met my friend Sayaka. And this is Kyoko. We were sent to get you out of here."

Kyoko walked up to Marinette and offered a pockey to her. "I gotta say. You must have some guts to run into a witch's labyrinth with no way to protect yourself."

Marinette gently pushed away Kyoko's offer. "I heard a girl crying for help. She has to be in here somewhere."

Mami and Kyoko looked at Sayaka. Sayaka shook her head, "There's no way anyone else is here."

The three turned their attention to Kyubey. Kyoko pointed her spear at the creature. "Did you do this? What? Were you tryin' to drag her in here to make a contract?"

Kyubey scratched his ears, "Yes, that was the goal. Though I didn't expect Homura to call out to Marinette. But it was my last chance to turn her into the new breed of magical girl." He sounded proud of what he did. The other magical girls seemed furious. Kyoko tried to slam the creature into the wall with her spear, but the creature dodged it. Marinette stood back. "I don't understand. Why me? And what would happen if I made the contract?"

"In short," Kyoko stated, "You've gotta lot of magical potential, and his contact woulda turned you into a zombie, or worse a witch like the one in this labyrinth."

Marinette reeled back. "What?"

Sayaka shook her head, "More or less, yeah. Your soul would be ripped from your body and put in a soul gem. If you fell to despair you would end up like this." She gestured to the area around them.

Mami walked up to Kyoko and put a hand on her shoulder, "Leave him. Madoka will take care of him later." She turned back to Marinette, "Kyubey said you heard Homura's voice?" Marinette nodded. Mami turned to the other magical girls, "I think it's time we saved our old friend. If she called out to Marinette, her body must be in here somewhere."

"Probably in the center with the witch." Sayaka muttered. Mami turned back to Marinette, "You're the only one right now who can hear her. So we'll need to keep you safe, but just in case." Mami reached into a pouch and pulled out a yoyo similar to Ladybug's, but it was pink with white polka dots. She clasped her hands over it. Marinette noticed a flash of gold from between Mami's hands, then handed the yoyo to Marinette. "Why don't you give us your best Ladybug impression."

Marinette hesitated, "Are you sure about this?" Mami smiled, "Of course. This should help keep you safe. Just use it like Ladybug would."

Marinette took the yoyo and began to twirl it around herself just like she used to as Ladybug. She rolled it back into her hand. "Thank you." She smiled. Happy to have some semblance of her superhero life back.

* * *

Adrien watched from the window, relieved Marinette could hear him when she needed it. He was also grateful Madoka sent her friends to help Marinette as soon as they did. He continued to watch as the three magical girls plus Marinette worked their way through the labyrinth. Mami took point, constantly summoning muskets and using her magic bullets to create vines that would tie the soldiers together for Sayaka and Kyoko to strike with their weapons. He was also impressed by Marinette's grace and agility with the magic yoyo. She was skilled, just like his lady. She really was amazing.

Madoka came up next to him, "They're about to get to the center. I hope this won't cause too much trouble."

"Will they be okay?"

"I hope so." Madoka paused, "Marinette's a natural with that yoyo."

Adrien kept his eyes on his friend, "She really is. Was this the potential you were talking about?"

Madoka smiled, "Partly. You'd be amazed what others are capable of. You just have to give them the opportunity."

"Yeah, she really is awesome. I'm proud to call her my friend."

Madoka frowned and shook her head. _He'll figure it out one day_. She looked up, "They made it…"

* * *

A grand purple door swung open to a large room. Marinette felt her fear come back to her. However, Sayaka put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. We're here to help you."

"But Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn't beat this thing! How are we going to?"

Kyoko bit her current pockey in half, "What? Did you have your eyes closed throughout this whole labyrinth? I'd like to see your Ladybug and Chat Noir get this far!"

Marinette put her hands up defensively "Ah! No, no. Its not that at all..." Sayaka and Mami smiled sheepishly at Kyoko's remarks. Mami spoke up, "Don't worry Marinette. We don't need to beat it. We just need to find Homura's body and get out. Madoka can take care of the rest."

"Madoka?" Marinette echoed. Sayaka leaned over and whispered, "Our boss and friend."

"So what's the plan?" Kyoko asked, getting a new pockey stick. Mami looked out at the witch. "She hasn't spotted us yet. And it looks like she moves pretty slow. That'll be good for us. If I use my muskets, Sayaka and Kyoko can flank her. That'll leave Marinette to find and rescue Homura." The others nodded. "Then let's go."

Mami leaped down into the room. She twirled a moment before making many muskets appear. She grabbed the closest one and fired at the witch. From there she tossed the musket and grabbed the next to fire. She continued this pattern, drawing the witch closer to her. Kyoko extended her spear and leaped into the room. She slammed her spear square into the witch's rib cage. The witch let out a disturbing cry. Sayaka held out her hand, "You ready?"

Marinette nodded and took her hand. The two jumped into the room. Sayaka threw out her cape to reveal a new cutlass. She drew it forward, "Go Marinette! We'll protect you."

Marinette nodded and ran towards the center. However, she was met by a large skeletal hand. Followed by Sayaka slamming her cutlass into its wrist. "Keep going!" She shouted. Marinette looked back to see another hand coming. "Watch out!" Marinette threw her yoyo at the other on coming hand. The yoyo broke through the witch's palm. The witch made another blood curdling cry and retracted its hand. Mami slid in front of Marinette and blasted another musket at the witch. "Nice swing." She said before summoning another musket and blasting the witch again. Marinette ran off trying to listen for Homura.

"Help me… please!"

Marinette stopped. "No… she can't be." Marinette dodged another swipe from the witch and rolled behind her enemy. She scanned the area as much as possible. Then she noticed at the back of witch's head was the girl they were looking for. Tied by the vines from the red flowers at the top of the witch's head was a girl dressed in black. But now how was she going to get her down? She wished she had her lucky charm. She looked at her allies, then her yoyo, and back at Homura's position. Then it hit her.

"Mami! Keep her busy. Kyoko, Sayaka, I need you!"

She filled the two in quickly on her plan and they got into position. Kyoko rushed into the witch and batted her spear into its chest again. "Mami, time for the big guns!" She shouted. Mami smirked, then untied the ribbon on her neck. She spun it quickly before it reshaped into a pistol three times her size. "Tiro Finale!" She shouted as the pistol went off. An explosion of light sent the witch flying back. What the witch failed to notice was Sayaka was launched off of Kyoko's spear. Sayaka landed on the shoulder of the witch. Steadying herself, Sayaka moved to the back of the head to slice at the vines. Once Homura was freed, the witch's hand came up to grab her and Sayaka. In response, Sayaka tossed Homura down and drew another cutlass to bat the hand away. Homura's decent was stopped when she was caught gently by Marinette's yoyo string tied up by two copies of Kyoko's spear.

Sayaka leaped down next to the girls. The witch in turn, began to try and grab Homura once more. Marinette quickly threw Homura onto her back. "Let's get out of here!" She shouted. The magical girls nodded and made for the exit.

* * *

"That's my cue." Madoka said before turning to Adrien, "This may be the last time we speak. So, let me say this." She clasped both hands behind her back. "Keep your eyes open and guard your heart, Adrien. Becoming Chat Noir gave you a lot of opportunities, but it also comes with some hard truths. You'll need to be ready for that."

"Madoka, are you saying something is going to happen between me and Ladybug?"

She giggled, "Not at all. You'll cross that bridge when you get to it. There are others you'll have to worry about."

"What does that mean?"

She patted his head. "I'll let you figure that one out. In the meantime, please keep your experiences here a secret. Not only for your safety, but others." She bowed to him, "It was nice to meet you, Adrien Agreste." He bowed back, "You too, Madoka Kaname."

Madoka turned and leaped into the window the two were watching.

Madoka appeared in all her glory before the four girls. Marinette stared in awe at the young woman. Madoka gilded forward to Marinette, who was still carrying Homura on her back. Madoka smiled at Marinette. "I'm very sorry for everything you've gone through. But I want to thank you for what you've done."

"Can you fix this?" Marinette asked. Madoka nodded, "Stand behind me, okay."

Marinette stepped back. Madoka raised her hand over her head. Light pooled into her open palm, forming what looked like a twisted branch with flowers on the end. Madoka took the staff in front of her and pulled an invisible line, making the flowers bloom. An arrow of light appeared, and Madoka launched it into the labyrinth. Light poured throughout the shadows, swallowing the witch whole. Once the light vanished, a dark purple soul gem fell into Madoka's hands. Madoka glared at the gem a moment. "Begone!"

The gem was enveloped in smoke before a dark butterfly left the gem. "Marinette, your yo-yo!"

Mami quickly took Homura off Marinette's back. Marinette went back to form with opening the yo-yo to capture and purify the akuma. "Bye-bye little butterfly."

Madoka turned back the group. She placed the gem into Homura's hands. The dark haired girl stirred awake. She opened her eyes slowly, taking in her surroundings.

"Madoka… Mami… Kyoko… Sayaka…" her voice was weak. They could see her eyes beginning to water. Madoka knelt next to her. "It's okay, Homura. We're all here now. You don't have to be alone anymore. The nightmare is over." Madoka put her hands around Homura's gem as the glass began to crack. "Finally…" Homura said.

The gem broke and the light left it. All but Madoka vanished. She stood up and turned to Marinette, "I have one more task to accomplish. But to thank you for everything you've done, I want you to keep that yo-yo. If you need help or advice, it can call one of us to help you. But it's for emergencies only, okay?" Marinette nodded, "Thank you."

"Things will go back to normal once I'm done. Please, do what you can to keep your experiences today a secret."

"Wait, where are you going?"

Madoka's kind face darkened. "I have a weasel to catch."

* * *

"You told me this would have worked!" Mr. Agreste shouted at the incubator. Nooroo, Plagg, and Tikki cowered in a corner to avoid their current master's anger. Kyubey flicked his tail. "It was supposed to work. But there were a few complications. Your wife was one of them."

"What?"

"She told Marinette where the labyrinth was instead of persuading her to make a wish to wake up your son."

Just then the door opened to Mrs. Agreste. "Emilie, is it true you told Marinette where the akuma was?" Gabriel asked. She nodded silently, "I couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't want to drag more people down just to fix our mistakes."

"She wouldn't have been hurt."

"Can you prove that? What you created with that akuma…"

"Broke the laws of universal balance." A new voice said.

All turned to see the young woman in white. She looked furious.

"Who are you?" Gabriel snapped. The kwamis gasped in awe at the woman's appearance. "The being of Universal Balance." Tikki answered.

"Madoka Kaname. The girl who traded her soul for all magical girls." Kyubey added. Madoka held out a welcoming hand to the kwamis. The small beings flew to her. She stroked their heads affectionately. "Tikki, Plagg, you have such wonderful owners. You must miss them terribly."

Plagg flew up to her face, "You have no idea!" He pointed at Gabriel, "He won't even let me have any cheese!"

Madoka giggled, "Well you won't have to wait to see them soon." She turned to Gabriel, "I have to reset everything to before you created a witch, Hawkmoth!"

"What!" Gabriel and Emilie said in unison.

Madoka looked back at Emilie. She gave the mother a sympathetic look. "Everything will be as it was before you woke up. I'm sorry, but I will not let this injustice stand. But I will be with you, until you wake up again."

Tikki flew up to Madoka, "But will we remember anything?"

Madoka shook her head, "Your owners will have vague memories of what happened, but not everything." She stroked Nooroo's head, "You'll have to wait a little longer to see everyone again, Nooroo."

"I understand." He said sadly. She gave Nooroo a peck on the head. Nooroo left Madoka's hand allowing her to raise it over her head to summon her bow.

"Wait, why are you doing this? How is this fair!" Gabriel snapped. Light began to surround Madoka, "Using a miraculous to create a witch is against the laws of balance. But selfishly using a magical girl for your own gains, is something I take personally." She pulled back her string to create an arrow of light. "You should be grateful I don't turn you over to Ladybug and Chat Noir after this!" Madoka pointed her bow above her head and shot the arrow. Light enveloped every part of Paris as everything was reset to before.

* * *

Marinette leaped out of bed, startled by what had happened and yet, didn't? She reached for her ears and confirmed her miraculous were returned to her. "Tikki?" She whispered. Tikki flew up to her owner. "Marinette, is something wrong?" Marinette put a hand to her head, "Was it all a dream?" "What was a dream?" Marinette put her hand back on her earrings, "I just thought… I lost you was all." Marinette climbed out of bed and looked over her desk. She froze a moment when she saw the yo-yo. "It wasn't a dream." She mumbled.

Tikki flew down. "Marinette, when did you get that yo-yo?"

"It was a thank you gift. From… someone I helped. Why can't I remember her name?"

"Well you'll have to remember later. You'll be late for school if you don't hurry!"

* * *

Adrien woke up to the smell of stinky cheese. He shot up instantly. "Plagg?" He asked with a hint of excitement. He saw his kwami sitting on his desk and eating his favorite cheese. "Morning sleepy head."

Adrien checked his hand for his ring and smiled. "It worked." Plagg flew over to him, "What worked?" Adrien blinked, realizing Plagg had no idea what was going on. Madoka told him to keep things a secret.

"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry." He wondered if Marinette could talk about it? He smiled thinking of how brave she was to face that monster for not only him, but a stranger who needed help. Maybe one day he'd talk to her about it. But for now, he'd admire her for something he could never talk about. He got out of bed to get ready for school that day.


End file.
